Thursday, April 16, 2026, 10 a.m. (Boston time), Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
Hearing on Dockets #0733-0740, FY27 Budget: BPS Supports
The Ways & Means Committee held a budget hearing on the Boston Public Schools FY27 budget (docket 0733-2074), covering chronic absenteeism, athletics, student supports, unhoused students, and career/technical education. Superintendent Mary Skipper presented the $1.73 billion budget, noting enrollment decline, rising costs, and operational reductions while highlighting record graduation rates and four consecutive years of decreased chronic absenteeism. Councilors questioned cuts to district social workers, the Opportunity Youth department, and EHIP (Early Homelessness Intervention Program) funding. Public testimony focused on restoring EHIP, access-to-counsel eviction defense funding, and calls for a hearing on the state intervention aftermath and BPS facilities plan.
0:31 I'm.
10:14 Good morning.
10:17 Uh, my name is ben Weber.
10:18 I'm the city councilor for
10:20 district six and the chair
10:22 of the Boston City Council on
10:23 ways and means.
10:25 Today is April 16th, 2026 and
10:28 the exact time is, uh, 1010.
10:30 Um, this hearing is being
10:30 recorded.
10:32 It's also being live streamed
10:36 at boston.gov/City Council tv
10:38 and broadcast on xfinity
10:40 channel eight, rcn channel 82
10:43 and fios channel 964.
10:45 The City Council's budget
10:48 review process encompasses a
10:49 series of public hearings
10:50 beginning in April running
10:51 through June.
10:53 We strongly encourage residents
10:54 to take a moment to engage in
10:55 this process by giving
10:56 testimony for the record.
10:58 You can do this in several ways
11:00 one you can attend one of our
11:01 hearings and give public
11:02 testimony.
11:04 Uh, we will take public
11:07 testimony at the end of uh,
11:10 each departmental hearing and
11:13 also at two hearings dedicated
11:14 solely to public testimony.
11:17 Uh, the full hearing schedule
11:20 is on our website at
11:21 boston.gov/council-budget.
11:22 Our scheduled hearings uh
11:24 dedicated to public testimony
11:26 called listening sessions are
11:28 in person in City Hall on
11:31 Tuesday April 28th at 6 p.m.
11:33 And in person City Hall again
11:35 on Thursday, May 26th at 6
11:35 p.m..
11:37 You can give testimony in
11:39 person here in the chamber or
11:40 virtually via zoom for
11:41 in-person testimony.
11:43 Please come to the chamber and
11:45 entrance.
11:45 sign up on the sheet near the
11:48 I'll just point to for anyone
11:51 and uh um for virtual testimony
11:52 you can sign up using our
11:55 online form on our uh,
11:56 council budget review website
12:00 or by emailing the committee at
12:03 6am@boston.gov or by emailing
12:04 chris chohan.
12:10 It's k a r I s h mccue hand at
12:10 Boston gov.
12:13 Uh when you are called to
12:15 testify uh you can please state
12:17 your name and your affiliation
12:19 ,your residence and uh limit
12:21 your comments to two minutes to
12:23 ensure all the comments can be
12:23 heard.
12:28 Um uh email your written
12:29 testimony to the committee at
12:32 scott or sorry two that's one
12:33 is show up and testify in
12:34 person two.
12:35 You can email your written
12:39 testimony to the committee at
12:40 squirm at Boston uncovered so
12:42 you can submit written
12:44 testimony or you can number
12:45 three you can submit a two
12:47 minute video of your testimony
12:49 through the form on our website
12:49 .
12:51 For more information on the
12:52 City Council budget process and
12:54 how to testify, please visit
12:56 the City Council's budget
12:59 website at
13:00 boston.gov/council-budget in
13:01 person in-person public
13:03 testimony will be taken
13:04 following the first round
13:04 of councilor questions.
13:07 Uh individuals will be called
13:09 on in the order in which they
13:10 have signed up and will have
13:12 two minutes to testify if you
13:13 wish to sign up for public
13:15 testimony you've not done so
13:17 already, please email chris
13:18 mucho on our central staff
13:22 liaison again or email is k r I
13:26 s h m a doctor you hand at
13:28 Boston decker for the zoom link
13:29 and your name will be added to
13:30 the list.
13:32 This morning's hearing on
13:37 docket number the numbers
13:38 073320740.
13:40 Uh, we'll focus on the Boston
13:41 public schools.
13:43 This hearing will cover topics
13:45 including chronic absenteeism,
13:48 on how students student
13:49 supports athletics.
13:53 Uh um uh alternative education
13:54 ,career and technical
13:57 education and early college.
13:58 This is one of a series
13:59 of hearings to review not only
14:03 the the fy 27 budget but the
14:03 budget.
14:08 Um uh, I want to note uh and
14:09 just to remind my colleagues
14:11 that, uh, bhp's central office
14:13 budget is relevant to
14:15 discussion at any of our
14:16 hearings given the overlap
14:18 of this budget with many of our
14:19 specific sub topics.
14:21 In the case of this particular
14:24 hearing services, uh, that are
14:25 either completely or partially
14:28 central funded or things uh, we
14:30 can uh, expect our panelists to
14:32 be expected to be able to
14:35 address um, you know, certainly
14:37 this hearing I think after this
14:38 afternoon's hearing I believe
14:39 tomorrow as well.
14:40 Now these matters were
14:42 sponsored by Mayor michelle wu
14:44 when referred to the committee
14:47 on April 8th, uh, 2026.
14:48 Is that right?
14:51 Um, um I'm not sure that's when
14:53 this is referred but anyway,
14:54 uh, today I'm joined by my
14:57 colleagues in order of arrival,
14:59 uh, councilor Breadon
14:59 councilor FitzGerald and I
15:00 received a letter of absence
15:01 from councilor Flynn.
15:02 No, I'm just kidding.
15:04 He's right here and he was here
15:04 first.
15:07 Um, I have received, uh, a
15:09 letter of absence from
15:10 councilor culpeper.
15:13 Um, so, uh, you know, based on
15:14 our practice where we're
15:17 waiving uh, uh, opening
15:18 statements from councilors,
15:19 which is if you have a
15:21 presentation, let's hear it and
15:23 you know, I will give my
15:24 colleagues some more time so
15:25 they can make any statement
15:27 they want to before they get to
15:27 questions.
15:29 So, uh, I just introduce the
15:29 panel.
15:32 Um, uh, we're joined by
15:33 superintendent of Boston public
15:35 schools mary skipper, chief
15:36 financial officer for Boston
15:38 public schools david bloom
15:40 chief students a chief
15:41 of student support for Boston
15:41 public schools.
15:45 Uh cory mccarthy, senior deputy
15:46 superintendent of operations
15:49 doctor sam de pina, uh deputy
15:50 superintendent of academics uh
15:51 doctor simon.
15:51 Right.
15:52 Uh, welcome.
15:54 Uh, this is your first budget
15:54 process with us, right?
15:57 Uh, secondary uh,
15:58 superintendent for college
16:00 career and life readiness, uh,
16:02 brett dickens is that okay?
16:05 Uh, and, um, did I have all the
16:07 panels I had, uh, director
16:08 of educational operations
16:11 carlos diaz on the on the list.
16:12 Okay.
16:13 Here.
16:14 Okay, great.
16:16 Um, so available to answer
16:16 questions.
16:18 So if you have, uh,
16:20 presentation, uh, anything you
16:22 want to convey, uh, now's your.
16:24 Wonderful I just have, um, some
16:25 opening comments and then we'll
16:26 just get right into
16:27 council questions.
16:29 Uh, so first I just wanted to
16:31 thank you council Weber
16:32 council FitzGerald is vice
16:33 chair and all of our city
16:33 councilors.
16:35 Uh, we really appreciate being
16:37 invited here today to
16:39 officially begin the fy 27
16:41 council budget process, giving
16:43 us the opportunity to present
16:46 our $1.73 billion budget
16:47 spending for the upcoming
16:47 fiscal year.
16:50 Uh, as you know, after two
16:52 months of public hearings,
16:54 robust discussion and community
16:55 feedback, the Boston school
16:56 committee unanimously passed
16:59 the budget on March 25th.
17:00 Today begins the next step in
17:02 our budget process.
17:03 I'd like to thank
17:05 councilor Weber for his
17:06 leadership during this budget
17:06 season.
17:09 We appreciate having the
17:11 opportunity to outline our
17:12 budget planning and overall
17:14 strategy early in the process
17:15 as the City Council has given
17:17 us over the past several years
17:17 .
17:20 You know many members of my
17:21 team for the ways and means
17:22 committee working session that
17:24 was held on March 5th where we
17:25 had our initial budget
17:26 conversation and you'll see
17:28 many of the topics that we
17:29 discussed reflected in our fy
17:30 27 budget.
17:33 As I've said before, your
17:35 constituents are our
17:35 constituents.
17:36 They're the same students,
17:38 parents, caregivers that attend
17:39 our schools and we know that
17:41 when you advocate for programs
17:44 and resources on behalf of them
17:45 ,you're also speaking for our
17:47 school communities, our
17:48 families and our students.
17:51 Um, as councilor Weber
17:53 indicated, there's a full panel
17:54 here today to give you the
17:56 information and answer as many
17:57 of the questions as you have.
18:01 Um, each budget cycle for us is
18:01 different.
18:03 It presents our own different
18:04 challenges.
18:06 Since we first began discussing
18:08 our fy 27 budget plans last
18:10 fall, we've been fully
18:11 transparent about the
18:12 difficulties we're facing as a
18:13 district and how we're
18:14 addressing them.
18:15 They're actually very
18:17 consistent with what districts
18:18 across the country in the state
18:20 are also facing, um, these
18:22 pressures that we're facing
18:24 include rising costs of health
18:25 insurance, transportation,
18:27 increased special education
18:29 services and collective
18:30 bargaining obligations.
18:31 This creates a great deal
18:33 of tension in our budget, which
18:35 is further complicated by a
18:36 historic enrollment decline due
18:39 in part largely for federal
18:40 immigration policy and lower
18:41 birth rates.
18:43 It's through this lens we began
18:45 our budget planning last fall
18:47 both at schools and centrally
18:48 working closely with schools
18:50 and central office departments.
18:52 Over the past several months
18:54 we've identified operational
18:55 efficiencies and reductions
18:57 that protect our priorities.
18:59 We eliminated costs that no
19:00 longer directly benefit
19:03 students by funding operational
19:04 efficiencies in the areas
19:05 of transportation safety
19:07 services, food and nutrition
19:07 services.
19:09 These are not choices that we
19:11 ever make lightly, but they
19:13 will continue to allow us to
19:15 allocate 93% of our funding to
19:17 services and programs that
19:19 directly impact and benefit our
19:20 schools and classrooms.
19:22 These decisions will allow us
19:24 to continue supporting and
19:25 building on our long term
19:26 investments.
19:27 The use of high quality
19:28 instructional materials in
19:30 every school, the use of high
19:32 in the use of um ongoing
19:34 implementation of the inclusive
19:36 education plan strong academics
19:38 especially with a focus on
19:39 literacy, social emotional
19:41 supports for our students,
19:43 bilingual program expansion and
19:44 strengthening our existing
19:46 programs and continuing to
19:47 build college and career
19:48 pathways for our secondary
19:49 schools.
19:50 This budget allows us to
19:52 continue to invest in what's
19:53 working and having the greatest
19:55 impact on student success.
19:57 Last month we celebrated a
19:58 major milestone for our
20:00 secondary schools highest
20:01 graduation rate in the
20:02 district's history and almost a
20:04 full percentage decrease in our
20:07 annual dropout, dse data showed
20:10 the district's 2024 four year
20:11 cohort graduation rate
20:13 increased 81.3%, which was a
20:16 full 1.6 percentage increase
20:18 from the previous year, marking
20:20 the strongest graduation
20:21 outcome for our district since
20:24 .
20:24 we began keeping record in 2006
20:26 This means over 400 more
20:29 students graduated in the 2025
20:30 cohort compared to the 2024.
20:32 Simultaneously, we are
20:34 encouraged by the continuing
20:35 decline in the number
20:36 of students leaving school
20:37 before earning a diploma.
20:40 Our annual dropout rate fell to
20:43 3.6%, which was almost a full
20:44 percentage decrease from the
20:46 previous year and that would
20:47 have represented the lowest
20:49 rate on record aside for the
20:50 pandemic year of 2021.
20:53 This decrease reflects over 100
20:54 less students and I think it's
20:56 important to put a face to
20:57 these stats.
20:59 We attribute the growth in part
21:00 to important district wide
21:01 investments that you have
21:03 allowed us as council that
21:05 we've made in strengthening
21:06 instruction and student
21:07 supports, expanding early
21:10 college and career pathways and
21:11 addressing chronic absenteeism
21:12 which is going to be one of the
21:13 topics of today's hearing.
21:15 The decrease can also be
21:16 attributed to some of the work
21:18 of our re-engagement team,
21:19 which consistently connects
21:20 with students who've dropped
21:22 out and helps them to take
21:23 necessary steps to graduate.
21:26 This is just one example of how
21:28 our fiscal decisions are moving
21:29 to direct the district in the
21:30 right direction.
21:32 We look forward to sharing more
21:33 details about it as we build on
21:34 the momentum of this hearing
21:36 and at the hearings this
21:36 afternoon and tomorrow.
21:38 This morning we're excited to
21:39 share details about
21:41 initiatives, programs, services
21:42 this budget supports that
21:44 address the needs of the whole
21:46 child and our students physical
21:47 and emotional well-being.
21:49 And later today my team will
21:51 explain how our investments in
21:52 operations mean that they will
21:54 continue to provide students
21:56 with nutritious, healthy meals,
21:57 transportation services and
21:59 safe clean facilities
22:00 especially following this
22:01 winter's historic snow.
22:04 Today will also take a deeper
22:04 tomorrow.
22:06 We'll also take a deeper look
22:07 at our core work in academics,
22:09 including our progress in
22:11 rolling out inclusive education
22:13 ,special education services,
22:14 programing for multilingual
22:15 learners as well as
22:16 partnerships, student and
22:18 family engagement, summer
22:20 programing and how we are
22:21 supporting students and
22:22 families in schools that are
22:23 closing and merging.
22:25 The goal of these hearings is
22:27 to provide you with a
22:28 comprehensive understanding
22:31 of our spending, how we make
22:32 decisions, how those decisions
22:34 are directly benefiting and
22:35 impacting our students.
22:38 So thank you again for
22:39 collaboration and continuing to
22:41 put our students and families
22:43 first in our city so that that
22:43 teacher.
22:46 Looks okay.
22:47 Thank you very much.
22:48 Uh councilor Flynn, we're going
22:51 to go seven minutes uh, for a
22:54 first round I do think there's,
22:56 uh, announcement about a fire
22:59 commissioner taking place right
23:01 now I think, uh, so that might
23:03 explain more of my colleagues
23:05 will be showing up after that's
23:05 over.
23:07 Um, so councilor Flynn seven
23:07 minutes.
23:10 Thank thank you, mr chair.
23:14 And thank you to, um,
23:14 superintendent skipper and our
23:15 team for being here.
23:17 I had the opportunity to read
23:21 much of the fiscal year 2027
23:23 adopted budget book that was
23:25 provided to us and continue to
23:26 focus on it.
23:30 Um, one one issue I do want to
23:32 highlight and just reviewing
23:34 reviewing my notes but um as it
23:38 relates to um student athletes
23:41 ,um why doesn't the athletes
23:42 have the same kind
23:45 of opportunities as students in
23:47 surrounding districts and why.
23:49 Can't we add more assistant
23:51 coaches for teams and programs?